# Is Trump confused? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [January 24, 2024, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589 "2024-01-24T13:53:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 176
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2024, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/3534 "2024-12-17T01:17:59Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > **Democrats:** Um, no. _We_ would like to get rid of the EC and elect the President by popular vote. Because, you know, the only reason you won the first time was because you had the EC. Shhhhh! Don’t tell him! You want to blow this opportunity? ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2024, 1:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/3535 "2024-12-17T01:21:02Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Shhhhh! Don’t tell him! You want to blow this opportunity? He just knows that he finally won the popular vote so it’s the most important one of all. Don’t mind the two others he lost. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2024, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/3536 "2024-12-17T01:25:00Z")
I just want to know, if the Electoral College is so great why aren’t there any famous graduates from it? Asking for a ~~friend~~ President elect. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2024, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/3537 "2024-12-17T01:35:09Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Trump says Democrats want to get rid of popular vote in presidential elections and have the Electoral College decide the winner. That’s not confused. That’s shameless pandering to popular opinion. The Electoral College is unpopular among those who know what it is. Among other Americans, all colleges are unpopular. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2024, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/3538 "2024-12-17T02:13:10Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > That’s not confused. That’s shameless pandering to popular opinion. Does he know how he got elected the first time? ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2024, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/3539 "2024-12-17T02:26:04Z")
Seriously? Yes! He also knows that getting rid of the electoral college could never be approved by the required number of states (38) despite polling well. And the National Popular Vote Compact would probably be ruled unconstitutional if it switched the outcome from R to D. So there is no benefit to Trump taking the [unpopular position](https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/09/25/majority-of-americans-continue-to-favor-moving-away-from-electoral-college/) here, just as there is no benefit to his expressing views truthfully. When have you ever seen an electoral college man in the NFL draft? Case closed. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2024, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/3540 "2024-12-17T02:28:54Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > He also knows that getting rid of the electoral college could never be approved by the required number of states (38) despite polling well You assume he knows how an amendment is passed. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2024, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/3541 "2024-12-17T03:01:17Z")
Re last post, maybe not what requires 2/3 and what needs 3/4. But in broad outline, yes. He also knows that colleges are unpopular among swing voters, the electoral college included. And he knows that taking a popular position on something that isn’t happening has no cost. Remember [Mexico paying for the wall](https://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2016-37241284)? That was eight years ago. He wasn’t confused then. And he’s rarely confused now. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2024, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/3542 "2024-12-17T03:08:00Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > Re last post, maybe not what requires 2/3 and what needs 3/4. But in broad outline, yes. Last week he told Meet The Press that he’s going to have a nationwide referendum to repeal the 14th amendment. He doesn’t know jack shit. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2024, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/3543 "2024-12-17T03:43:16Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Last week he told Meet The Press that he’s going to have a nationwide referendum to repeal the 14th amendment. > > He doesn’t know jack shit. Here’s the [Q and A:](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-interview-meet-press-kristen-welker-election-president-rcna182857🙈) > [@](#): > > KRISTEN WELKER: > > Can you get around the 14th Amendment with an executive action? > > PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD TRUMP: > > Well, we’re going to have to get it changed. We’ll maybe have to go back to the people. But we have to end it. We’re the only country that has it, you know. This does not sound one bit confused to me. (Although it is a lie - Canada and Brazil have birthright citizenship.) Do you really think this SCOTUS would have the guts to rule opposite to a solid referendum outcome? I’m sure they would not. They would have to stop the anti-constitutional vote up front, and we saw this year that they will refuse to do it. Now, organizing a national referendum may be beyond Trump’s organizational ability. But, right now, the U.S. is going in a MAGA direction. Maybe President Lara Trump will have to manage it five years from now. Or maybe a referendum isn’t needed, because the 14th amendment is not self-executing. If part is not self-executing, none of it is. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2024, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/3544 "2024-12-17T03:53:22Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > Do you really think this SCOTUS would have the guts to rule opposite to a solid referendum outcome? Well, there’s no legal or constitutional mechanism to even hold a national referendum in the first place, so yes. If you want to do the “Trump can do anything he wants and nobody can stop him” routine, there’s a Pit thread for that. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2024, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/3545 "2024-12-17T04:03:48Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > > [@PhillyGuy](#): > > > > Do you really think this SCOTUS would have the guts to rule opposite to a solid referendum outcome? > > If you want to do the “Trump can do anything he wants and nobody can stop him” routine, there’s a Pit thread for that. The pit is against my religion 😃 And I do not think Trump can do anything he wants. Not being confused, he knows that. The money for the referendum would have to be in a reconciliation budget bill so it could avoid filibuster. Maybe the Senate parliamentarian would rule it requires sixty votes. Or maybe five moderate House Republicans would stop it. I think it will all be close-run. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2024, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/3546 "2024-12-17T04:05:59Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > The money for the referendum would have to be in a reconciliation budget bill so it could avoid filibuster. Maybe the Senate parliamentarian would rule it requires sixty votes. Or maybe five moderate House Republicans would stop it. I think it will all be close-run. (Sigh) There is no constitutional mechanism by which to hold a national referendum. NONE. Not once in the history of this Republic has anything been decided by a majority vote of the people. It’s not a matter of “the parliamentarian says it needs 60 votes”. You’d have to pass an amendment just to be able to have such a vote. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2024, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/3547 "2024-12-17T04:15:22Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > (Sigh) > > There is no constitutional mechanism by which to hold a national referendum. NONE. It’s not a matter of “the parliamentarian says it needs 60 votes”. You’d have to pass an amendment just to be able to have such a vote. I’ll give you this: They couldn’t use state voter registration lists. I think a referendum is doable, just not easy to plan and lead. Maybe it will be a good test of whether Trump is actually confused, or just acts that way when it serves his purposes. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2024, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/3548 "2024-12-17T04:20:16Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > Maybe it will be a good test of whether Trump is actually confused, or just acts that way when it serves his purposes. Nah, when and if anyone ever asks, “what about that national referendum?”, he’ll just say, “I wanted to do it, for you, my fans, but the Deep State wouldn’t allow it.” And, thus, score more MAGA points. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2024, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/3549 "2024-12-17T04:21:15Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > I think a referendum is doable, just not easy to plan and lead. It’s not. The bar to a constitutional amendment is so high as to be unachievable unless there is such vast consensus on a matter that you wouldn’t even need to hold a referendum. We are not likely to see another constitutional amendment passed in our lifetimes, and if we do, it sure ain’t gonna be an incontinent sundowning dementia patient who achieves it. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2024, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/3550 "2024-12-17T14:29:17Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Trump says Democrats want to get rid of popular vote in presidential elections and have the Electoral College decide the winner. Is he actually accusing Democrats of wanting to start something that has been happening for more than 200 years? ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2024, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/3551 "2024-12-17T14:31:27Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > > [@PhillyGuy](#): > > > > Maybe it will be a good test of whether Trump is actually confused, or just acts that way when it serves his purposes. > > Nah, when and if anyone ever asks, “what about that national referendum?”, he’ll just say, “I wanted to do it, for you, my fans, but the Deep State wouldn’t allow it.” And, thus, score more MAGA points. This. And only this. The patented trump method: 1. Say mostly random shit that you think will get a cheer from your audience (or a rise from your enemies). a. If they cheer (or rise), go to step 2. b. If they don’t, go to step 1 with a new random idea and if ever asked about what you just said, deny you ever said it. 2. Wait for your toadies (or the random progress of history) to make it happen. Or not. a. If it happens, take all the credit. And a cut of the money. b. If it doesn’t happen, blame the Deep state or the opposition or … anything. And take a cut of the money. 3. Return to step 1 with a different random thought. _Everything_ that pile of shit does can be explained with this one simple template. It really doesn’t ever get any deeper than this. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2024, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/3552 "2024-12-17T14:35:41Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Is he actually accusing Democrats of wanting to start something that has been happening for more than 200 years? No. He’s accusing the Democrats of wanting to take away your God-given RIGHT to _vote_ for President. And his audience doesn’t exactly understand how sorta-advisory that vote is and always has been. But taking away voting is un-American, so Dems must be in favor of doing it and Real Americans™ (i.e. MAGAts) must struggle mightily and eternally to prevent it. Saving America from Democrats is the only real message and it’s a very consistent one. One that wins a lot of elections at every level. Assisted by vast gouts of propaganda to cloud the reality. ---
**Author:** ![Nightaudit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nightaudit/32/17181_2.png) [@Nightaudit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightaudit)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2024, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589/3553 "2024-12-17T16:10:37Z")
That’s appropriate model of car…. Being a fan of the third reich🤣 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589.md?page=175) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-trump-confused/996589.md?page=177)